Orthostatic Hypotension Case Study
1. Provide a brief explanation of what orthostatic hypotension is and identify the vital signs and their values that define orthostatic (postural) hypotension.
Orthostatic hypotension is when a person’s blood pressure decreases whenever they go from a lying position to sitting up or standing. This is due to blood leaving the core of the body (organs) and shunts to the peripheries due to vasodilation. This usually makes the patient feel dizzy or light-headed and can cause a patient to become unsteady and/or fall. If a patient has orthostatic hypotension, their pulse will increase 15-30 bpm or blood pressure will decrease by 20 mmHg systolic or 10 mmHg diastolic (Nursing: A concept-based, 2015, pp. 1067-1068).
2. Explain the steps of assessing orthostatic vital signs. Does Mr. O’Brien exhibit signs of orthostatic vital signs? Explain.
To assess for orthostatic hypotension, the nurse must have the patient lie down, usually for at least 10 minutes and take their pulse and blood pressure. The patient would then be assisted to a sitting or standing position, while making sure that the patient is safe, and the pulse and blood pressure would immediately be assessed again, wait 3 minutes and repeat. All vitals should be taken from the same …show more content…
O’Brien’s pulse and blood pressure and we already know that he is breathing because he is talking to the nurse. Next, she should check Mr. O’Brien for cuts, bruises, or broken bones and assess his pain level on a pain scale from 1-10. Since the nurse was not in the room when the fall occurred, she should ask him what happened and make sure to document it later when the situation is over, and Mr. O’Brien is stable. The nurse should call for help and stay with the patient until help arrives, making sure not to move the patient until it can be determined that the patient is not hurt, and the nurse has help with getting the patient back up into a wheelchair or the bed (Nursing: A concept-based,
Orthostatic hypotension is when a person’s blood pressure decreases whenever they go from a lying position to sitting up or standing. This is due to blood leaving the core of the body (organs) and shunts to the peripheries due to vasodilation. This usually makes the patient feel dizzy or light-headed and can cause a patient to become unsteady and/or fall. If a patient has orthostatic hypotension, their pulse will increase 15-30 bpm or blood pressure will decrease by 20 mmHg systolic or 10 mmHg diastolic (Nursing: A concept-based, 2015, pp. 1067-1068).
2. Explain the steps of assessing orthostatic vital signs. Does Mr. O’Brien exhibit signs of orthostatic vital signs? Explain.
To assess for orthostatic hypotension, the nurse must have the patient lie down, usually for at least 10 minutes and take their pulse and blood pressure. The patient would then be assisted to a sitting or standing position, while making sure that the patient is safe, and the pulse and blood pressure would immediately be assessed again, wait 3 minutes and repeat. All vitals should be taken from the same …show more content…
O’Brien’s pulse and blood pressure and we already know that he is breathing because he is talking to the nurse. Next, she should check Mr. O’Brien for cuts, bruises, or broken bones and assess his pain level on a pain scale from 1-10. Since the nurse was not in the room when the fall occurred, she should ask him what happened and make sure to document it later when the situation is over, and Mr. O’Brien is stable. The nurse should call for help and stay with the patient until help arrives, making sure not to move the patient until it can be determined that the patient is not hurt, and the nurse has help with getting the patient back up into a wheelchair or the bed (Nursing: A concept-based,